78
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
76/100
33 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
Head-to-head
Updated May 2026
Cooper Zeon CS6 vs Sumitomo HTR Z III — Compared (May 2026)
Our Relative Score blends 60% objective test data with 40% owner-review signal — so any two tires can be compared even if they were never tested on the same day.
VS
Tire B
Sumitomo
Sumitomo HTR Z III
84
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
84/100
42 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictWinner: Sumitomo HTR Z III — better comfort, dry and wet. Pick the Cooper Zeon CS6 if treadwear matters most to you.
Read full
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Category breakdown
7 categories, side by side
Each bar is the Relative Score for that category. Expand a tile to see the test results and owner ratings behind it.
Dry
Score (0–100)
HTR Z III leads by 9
Why this score
| Source | Zeon CS6 | HTR Z III |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 83 | 87 |
| SimpleTire owners | – | 95 |
Wet
Score (0–100)
HTR Z III leads by 7
Why this score
| Source | Zeon CS6 | HTR Z III |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 74 | 80 |
| SimpleTire owners | – | 82 |
Snow
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | Zeon CS6 | HTR Z III |
|---|---|---|
| SimpleTire owners | – | 52 |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
HTR Z III leads by 17
Why this score
| Source | Zeon CS6 | HTR Z III |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 72 | 86 |
| SimpleTire owners | – | 91 |
Noise
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | Zeon CS6 | HTR Z III |
|---|---|---|
| SimpleTire owners | – | 87 |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
Zeon CS6 leads by 3
Why this score
| Source | Zeon CS6 | HTR Z III |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 85 | 82 |
| SimpleTire owners | – | 82 |
Handling
Score (0–100)
HTR Z III leads by 6
Why this score
| Source | Zeon CS6 | HTR Z III |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 74 | 80 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Cooper Zeon CS6 | Sumitomo HTR Z III |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 78 | 84 |
| Dry | 83 | 92 |
| Wet | 74 | 81 |
| Snow | – | 52 |
| Comfort | 72 | 89 |
| Noise | – | 87 |
| Treadwear | 85 | 82 |
| Handling | 74 | 80 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
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Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.
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Recomputed
Headline score
78
/ 100
Tire A
84
/ 100
Tire B
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
From owners
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
The Cooper Zeon CS6 is widely regarded as a high-value, mid-range tire that offers impressive dry and wet grip for the price point. While most users praise its longevity and predictable handling, a subset of owners reports significant issues with road noise and durability, specifically regarding sidewall bulges and premature cracking.
Pros
- Excellent value for money compared to premium brands
- Strong, predictable grip in both wet and dry conditions
- High tread longevity for many users
- Progressive handling characteristics that provide clear feedback
Cons
- Reports of excessive road noise on certain surfaces
- Occasional structural issues including sidewall bulges
- Some reports of premature rubber cracking
- Inconsistent performance on specific vehicle setups
Observations
- Users with high-torque diesel vehicles frequently report excellent tread life despite heavy usage.
- Drivers of performance-oriented vehicles occasionally find the sidewall rigidity lacking, requiring higher PSI to improve steering feel.
- Some owners of premium vehicles noted a significant drop in refinement compared to OE-fitted tires like Michelin or Continental.
The Sumitomo H/TR Z III is widely regarded as a high-value performance tire that offers a compelling balance of dry grip, comfort, and affordability. While it is frequently praised as a cost-effective alternative to premium brands for daily driving and spirited street use, some users note limitations in extreme wet-weather cornering and high-horsepower traction.
Pros
- Excellent price-to-performance ratio
- Strong dry handling and steering feedback
- Quiet and comfortable ride quality
- Predictable performance for daily driving
Cons
- Inconsistent wet-weather side grip during cornering
- Limited traction under heavy acceleration on high-horsepower vehicles
- Not suitable for winter or freezing conditions
- Variable tread life depending on driving style and vehicle weight
Observations
- High-horsepower RWD vehicles (e.g., 500whp Mustang) may experience significant wheel spin compared to premium performance tires.
- Users with staggered setups report good longevity, though the inability to rotate tires can accelerate wear on the rear axle.
- Owners of lighter, nimble vehicles like the Mini Cooper report high satisfaction with handling and wet-weather performance.
Specifications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Cooper Zeon CS6 | B · Sumitomo HTR Z III |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer High Performance tires | — |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | — |
| Tread depth | — | 10/32″ |
| UTQG | — | 300 A A |
| Sidewall | — | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | — | 50 psi |
Final verdict
Which one should you actually buy?
78
/ 100
Cooper
84
/ 100
Sumitomo
Winner: Sumitomo HTR Z III — better comfort, dry and wet. Pick the Cooper Zeon CS6 if treadwear matters most to you.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Sumitomo HTR Z III scores 89 vs 72 on comfort.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Sumitomo HTR Z III scores 92 vs 83 on dry.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Sumitomo HTR Z III scores 81 vs 74 on wet.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Sumitomo HTR Z III scores 80 vs 74 on handling.
Tire A · Cooper Zeon CS6
Tire B · Sumitomo HTR Z III
More comparisons
Also compared with
Cooper Zeon CS6 also compared with
Sumitomo HTR Z III also compared with
How do we compare tires?
Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements) normalized against the best tire in each test and weighted toward recent tests. 40% comes from thousands of owner reviews collected from retailers and review sites. When a tire has only one of the two, we use what exists and say so.
Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.